Saland knows swing vote on gay-marriage bill may prompt GOP backlash

Jun. 26, 2011

Written by

Joseph Spector
Journal Albany bureau

ALBANY — The silence was palpable when Sen. Stephen Saland and his colleagues entered the packed Senate chamber on Friday night.

And the eyes of the hundreds who packed the upstairs gallery and those who lined up three deep in every corner of the ornate chamber were undoubtedly focused on Saland, one of two undecided senators on whether to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.

The Republican from Poughkeepsie said he had never felt such intensity in the room, where he has served since 1991. ...